No Dig Garden – 5 Amazing Reasons You Need Change Your Gardening Style
No Dig Gardening
Gardening, whether you are growing an acre of vegetables or a simple raised bed of kale or flowers it’s meant to be relaxing, refreshing and about getting back to nature and sustainability. A no dig garden (no matter the size) will provide you with more flowers, more produce and less weeds with less work. Discover 5 reasons you need to change your gardening style to no dig.
Garden Soil
If you know a no dig gardener they are passionate about soil. And with reason. If you create a lush and living soil through no till, compost and mulch you can grow amazing produce and flowers. As I write this I am scheduling my compost delivery to top up my raised beds and I am super stoked. My husband laughs because he doesn’t need to buy me expensive presents, a simple load of compost or soil keeps me happy. And a visit to the garden store every once in a while.
Compost
We get compost delivered because we don’t make enough for the size of garden we have. You can create your own compost to use in your flower beds and garden. Compost is broken down organic matter that can feed your soil and new plants. This can be made of grass clippings, leaves, old plants, plant based kitchen scraps, decomposing wood and straw. Compost is very important to no dig, no till gardening as it adds to the organic matter and food web of the soil. If you feed your soil food web, the soil will feed your plants. Which means you don’t need chemical fertilizer. Besides compost is way cheaper!
Why Start A No Dig Garden
You should start a no dig (no till) garden for numerous reasons. The main reason being a more bountiful harvest of both flowers and produce with less work. Below you will find five other amazing reasons to start a no dig garden of your own.
No Dig Gardening Method
No dig gardening is a method of gardening that doesn’t involve tilling or turning over your garden beds to prepare them for spring planting. Instead no till gardening works with idea of building up the soil and not disturbing the soil food web in an effort to feed the soil and feed the plants. It’s about working smarter.
How To Start A No Dig Garden
A no dig garden is a lasagna layer of carbon rich and nitrogen rich layers that build up the health of the soil. Plant based layers and compost layers are nitrogen rich. Cardboard or paper add to the carbon rich levels. You can also use straw and manure for your layers. The idea is you are building up the nutrients in your soil creating an organically happy medium perfect for growing plants.
What You Need For A No Dig Garden
To create your no dig garden you need a raised bed or section of garden bed you want to use. Clear the area and lay down a layer of cardboard to cover the base of the “bed”, then layer compost, soil, manure, straw, leaves and what ever organic materials you choose to use. You can also use worm castings and compost. The top layer is generally compost or mulch creating a great organic area for your seedlings to grow.
5 Amazing Reasons To Start A No Dig Garden
The ability to create soil and a garden bed that feeds your plants is reason enough to start a no dig garden but if you need more reasons we have five that will help you start your no dig garden journey and never look back.
No Dig Gardening Means Less Work
No dig gardening is about adding to the soil. Layering more organic materials onto the last layer. Adding a layer of compost every spring and fall to a no till garden is normal. Once this layer is added, the seeds are planted and all the garden requires of you basically is watering and the occasional weeding. You don’t need to mix up or till the soil or move things around.
No Till Gardening Means Less Weeds
No till gardening means less movement of the soil so weed seeds aren’t being spread. You may still get the occasional weed that can quickly be picked and composted. You are spending less time in the garden picking weeds and ensuring that your plants are growing well.
Healthier Soil With No Dig Gardening
Adding compost, worm castings and lasagna layers to your soil is increasing the organic soil food web and adding to the healthy nutrients in the soil which will feed your plants. Think of the compost and lasagna layers as natural vitamins for your soil which your plants with soak up while they grow. In turn you are growing healthy produce.
No Need For Chemical Fertilizers With No Till Gardening
As you add compost, nitrogen and carbon based materials to your garden you are adding natural fertilizers so there is no need to add chemical fertilizers that cost a lot and cause more issue than benefit.
No Dig Gardening For A More Bountiful Harvest
Having studied and built a no dig garden you will be amazed at the level of bountiful harvest a no dig garden can provide season after season. A no dig garden can be built to be a multi-season garden providing food, flowers or both for your family all year round.
No Dig Raised Beds
No dig gardening isn’t limited to a 10×10 section of your garden. You can use the no dig lasagna method in a raised bed or container garden. It’s about adding to your soil not turning it over.
Beginner Gardening
If you are a beginner gardener looking to grow more food for your family or start a flower garden creating a no dig garden is a great choice. It means less work, less cost and more harvest.
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